


More Important

by reeby10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Community: mini_fest, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Post-Canon, Romanian Dragon Reserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10582605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: Charlie wants Draco to know he doesn't need to be alone for Christmas.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sassy_cissa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_cissa/gifts).



> Originally posted [here](http://mini-fest.livejournal.com/162980.html) for HP Mini Fest 2016.

Draco sat at the darkened window of the reserve bunkhouse, watching as the snow swirled lazily down to gather in higher and higher drifts on the ground. It was relaxing to watch, though it didn’t quite quiet the turmoil in his mind. Christmas was just an hour away and he was one of the only ones left. Even Charlie would be leaving in the morning to spend the next few days with his family.

It was the first Christmas Draco was spending without his parents. Even at Hogwarts he’d gone home to them every year, and now that wasn’t even remotely an option with both of them in Azkaban. He was alone for the first time, far from even the semblance of home here in Romania, and he hated to admit even to himself that it was making him very lonely.

“Are you dwelling?”

Draco turned to find Charlie standing behind him, arms crossed comfortably and a small smile on his lips. Draco tried to smile as well, but felt it wavering. He turned back away, swallowing through the lump that had formed in his throat.

“Of course not,” Draco said, keeping his voice as even as possible. “I’m merely… thinking.”

“Ah, yes, that’s it,” Charlie replied, a teasing lilt to his voice that had Draco unconsciously leaning toward him. “It’s just your thinking sure looks a lot like dwelling to me.”

Draco harrumphed, but knew he didn’t have a whole lot room to argue. And they both knew Charlie always saw through all his bullshit, no matter what excuses he tried to make. It would be endearing to have someone know him so well if it wasn’t so frequently frustrating.

“Fine,” Draco finally snapped after Charlie refused to either say anything else or move for several minutes. “I’ve just been thinking about how I’ll be all alone on Christmas, what with my parents in prison. I think that’s quite reasonable to dwell on, don’t you?”

“You won’t be alone, Draco,” Charlie said, voice so soft and kind it made Draco shiver. He felt Charlie move closer, arms curling around Draco’s shoulders to pull him against the older man’s firm chest.

Draco sighed a little and closed his eyes, letting himself relax if only for a moment. “You’re going to your parents’ house, though,” he said equally softly. “With the rest of your ridiculous family.”

“You’re the ridiculous one,” Charlie replied, but there was no bite in the words, only fond exasperation. It was a tone Draco knew all too well. “But I already told them I wouldn’t make it this year. I wanted to stay with you and I knew you wouldn’t be comfortable there. At least not yet.”

“Why… why would you do that?” Draco asked, carefully ignoring the last part of Charlie’s pronouncement. It sparked something warm and hopeful in his chest, but it was also something to be examined later. Probably much later. “You always spend Christmas with your family. You’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”

Draco could feel Charlie nodding behind him. “I have been, but in the end… I thought you were more important.”

The words sucked the breath right out of Draco’s chest and for a moment he felt almost dizzy with surprise. He knew Charlie cared about him, but he’d honestly thought what they had was nothing more than a convenient fling. There weren’t a whole lot of people on the dragon reserve and Charlie was often awkward, even if he was the kindest person Draco had ever met. So them together… well, Draco hadn’t really thought it was a thing meant to last.

“Charlie, are you sure?” Draco asked, a little ashamed about how his voice cracked on the softly spoken words. There were so many emotions roiling within him that he wasn’t really sure what to do with them. “They’re your family.”

“I’m sure.”

The words were final, and Draco could feel that sureness down to his very bones. It made him smile, even while a whole host of emotions overtook him, a sob fighting its way out of his throat as he gasped for breath. Charlie’s arms tightened around him and he reached up to clutch at those muscled forearms, needing to touch something solid.

Charlie whispered into his ear, tone calm and still sure even while Draco couldn’t understand a word of it. It helped, though, and in a few minutes he’d calmed enough to slacken his grip a bit. He sat silently for several long moments, allowing his thoughts to slow and breathing to even.

“Thank you,” Draco whispered once he felt he had control of himself again. “I’m sorry for… panicking like that.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Charlie replied, dropping a soft kiss on the top of his head. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know how much I cared before. Because I do, Draco, so much.”

“I know.” And he did, now. He even wondered how he hadn’t seen it before, because in retrospect it was pretty obvious. He’d come to work at the reserve with nothing but a tarnished name and in the past months he’d come so far, all thanks to Charlie.

“I love you,” Draco said, turning and planting a kiss on a very surprised Charlie. He smiled, warmth bubbling in his chest as he realized how true his words were, though he’d never really thought them before.

“I love you too,” Charlie said, eyes bright with equal happiness.

It felt to Draco like something was changing and growing between them, something wonderful that he never before would have thought he could have. A clock somewhere behind them rang out the midnight hour and Draco leaned in for another kiss, this one deeper and full of far more meaning.

“Merry Christmas.”

**Author's Note:**

> Concrit welcome. If you like my fic, feel free to come hit me up [on tumblr](http://voldiebuns.tumblr.com/)!


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